Hi everyone! I was kind of sort of diagnosed with osteoarthritis three years ago. The x-ray results indicated I had "acetebular spurring" and "steady degenerative change." I was 22 at the time, and was in Tae Kwon Do (and had been for three years). My physical therapist said it looked like I'd kicked too much, but also that it was highly abnormal for someone my age to have arthritis already.
I am not overweight; I don't have any other medical conditions that explain this. My dad has arthritis in his knees, but he's in his 60's. My doctor never could tell me why my bones are "degenerating" but she insists the arthritis is "very mild" and nothing to worry about. Yet she also told me not to participate in martial arts anymore, or run, or really do anything but ride a stationary bicycle. :(
Anywho, I've been fairly sedentary for the past three years, so I decided to join a gym last week. I kickboxed last Thursday, and seriously overdid it. (I know, I know, bad me.) I've had difficulty walking since, and not just because of hip stiffness and pain. My left calf is HORRIBLY sore today. I was on and off airplanes for hours yesterday, which I know only made things worse.
Am I just frail? Or does it sound like something else is wrong with me? I had bloodwork done recently, and nothing was abnormal. I've had abnormally low potassium and thyroid readings in the past, and while both were still low this time, they were just within the normal spectrum.
Also, what sort of exercise routine should I do that won't leave me hobbling for days after? And how do you all treat your pain? (I don't like pills!)
Thanks for reading!
Hey Stinky,
I'm sorry you're in such pain. 25 is awfully young for OA. But so is 45, my age. My ex-boyfriend lives for Tae Kwon Do and has never experienced problems. I guess it's just the way things are for some people.
Yeah, I'm not even allowed to do the elliptical anymore. I really miss running -- only picked it up when I was 43, but really liked it. I'm now swimming and it is making a bit of difference -- and it's great for the upper body.
Get used to pills. There are lots of supplements that help a bit. There are strong NSAIDs your doctor can prescribe (just be sure to take them with Zantac to keep them from destroying your stomach).
Heat is great. I swear by those thermo-heat pads that you wear under your clothes. Even though I can't get them to the source of my pain (I have hip OA which manifests itself where the bone and socket meet at the groin), they are very helpful.
Swimming is the only thing that doesn't leave me hobbling. Esp. if I follow it with a soak in the jacuzzi.
With OA, your body tries to protect the fragile joints by compensating with other muscles and joints. My shins often hurt after a long session of shopping and I can only guess they are compensating for my hips.
I know it's frustrating to stop being active -- I deal with that frustration every day. Hang in there and vent here often. My family doesn't understand my pain, except for my father-in-law who is still a marathon runner at age 81... and my Mom keeps trying to figure out which childhood trauma caused this problem -- probably none of them; I was not a very active kid; I walked everywhere and did yoga, not exactly contact sports...I took up Tai Chi in college. So I can't even blame my OA on previous injuries b/c I never had any... even when I started running, I was always the slow one, not the sprinter.
You might want to keep pursuing the thyroid thing -- that can cause fatigue.
Hang in there!!!
--Natasha
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